standoff

1 of 3

noun

stand·​off ˈstand-ˌȯf 

1

a

: tie, deadlock

the two teams played to a standoff

b

: a counterbalancing effect

2

: the act of standing off

standoff

2 of 3

adjective

1

: standoffish

2

: used for holding something at a distance from a surface

a standoff insulator

stand off

3 of 3

verb

stood off; standing off; stands off

intransitive verb

1

: to stay at a distance from something

2

: to sail away from the shore

transitive verb

1

: to keep from advancing : repel

2

: put off, stall

Synonyms of standoff

Noun

• tie
• draw

Adjective

• detached
• distant
• cold
• remote
• cool
• dry

Examples of standoff in a Sentence

Noun

The two governments are currently in a standoff over who has rights to the land.

after two hours they had played to a 5–5 standoff

Adjective

the client's standoff attitude suggested that this was going to be a strictly business relationship

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Police tracked the man to his home in Independence, and after a standoff and a fire at the house, investigators hadn’t been able to find the man. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026

Emirati F-16s carry various bombs and munitions suitable for tactical air-to-ground warfare, such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition, the Paveway bomb, and the GBU-39 small diameter bomb, which has a standoff range of up to 46 miles. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Verb

Reed was standing off to the side as an official visitor, watching as Castle and the 2024 UConn team celebrated back-to-back national championships with a parade in downtown Hartford. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026

The video then cuts to the produce section of the store, where two officers stand off with the man who authorities say is Tabor, tackling him to the ground and handcuffing him. — Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Phrases Containing standoff

• Mexican standoff

Rhymes for standoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

standoff

noun

stand·​off

ˈstan-ˌdȯf

: a contest or game in which there is no winner : draw